Quartile rating: 7/10 · 1 rating
Awkward, isolated and disapproving of most of the people around her, a precocious 19-year-old genius is challenged to put her convictions to the test by venturing out on to the NYC dating scene.
Carrie Pilby is a charming, modestly scaled indie dramedy buoyed by a likable lead performance from Bel Powley, whose quirky intelligence keeps the film engaging despite a fairly conventional coming-of-age structure. The plot follows a well-worn path of a socially isolated young woman learning to open up to the world, with a to-do list device that feels familiar. The NYC setting is pleasant but cinematography is unremarkable, staying safely within indie visual conventions. The ending is satisfying without being surprising. Novelty earns a middling score — there is some distinctiveness in the protagonist's intellectual voice and moral rigidity, but the overall arc is recognizable formula.